Hiding in plain sight - reworked

[wimvb]

Andromeda IV must be the most imaged but at the same time least seen galaxy out there. It is right next to the Andromeda galaxy, but being a dwarf, and being very faint, it is rarely noticed. Here it gets centre stage, flanked by another dwarf galaxy (but this one with its own Messier number), and a star cluster.

I believe it was an image or video by Adam Block that brought this dwarf galaxy to my attention. You would think that this galaxy is part of the Andromeda system, but in fact, the dwarf is about 20 million light years distant, well beyond, and not at all tied to M31. So, it shouldn't even have an "And" number. The galaxy was discovered by Sydney van den Bergh in 1972.

Data for this image was collected back in January, and consists of 6 x 5 minutes for G and B, and 11 x 5 minutes for R, as well as 21 x 3 minutes L, a total of about 3 hours of integration time.

Gear: SW 190MN telescope and ZWO ASI294MM camera

An inverted L version showing the very faint dwarf.

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by wimvb
replaced original image with brighter version

[symmetal]

That's a real faint fuzzy. 😁

Alan

[wimvb]

8 minutes ago, symmetal said:

That's a real faint fuzzy. 😁

Alan

It really is. Here's a slightly enhanced version. I want to avoid at all cost "painting" in the structure, or use elaborate masks to selectively lighten areas. In this version, I used a simple mask to protect the stars and M31, and applied Multiscale processing to enhance the galaxy

[Sunshine]

No way, I can't see it! I need to wait for better seeing conditions 🤣

Edited May 28, 2023 by Sunshine

[wimvb]

4 hours ago, Sunshine said:

No way, I can't see it! I need to wait for better seeing conditions 🤣

You need averted vision ( 🙃 😉 ) or a computer screen to see it. Handheld devices just have too little dynamic range. A dwarf galaxy 20 Mly distant and almost eclipsed by a star, is faint by any measure.

On my computer screen it's clearly visible, but on my Samsung Galaxy Tab, I can only just about see it because I know it's there. I'll post an inverted luminance image.

Edited May 28, 2023 by wimvb

[tomato]

Great post! I have quite a bit of data on Andromeda so I will go looking for it as soon as this run of UK clear nights is over.

[wimvb]

10 minutes ago, tomato said:

Great post! I have quite a bit of data on Andromeda so I will go looking for it as soon as this run of UK clear nights is over.

Thanks. I'm sure you'll find it. @gorann found it in his data.

[gorann]

1 hour ago, wimvb said:

Thanks. I'm sure you'll find it. @gorann found it in his data.

Yes, here it is for the record (110 x 2 min with RASA 8 and ASI2600MC). It is the fuzzie top left:

[tomato]

I have looked through quite a few of my images of M31 and this one appears to show it most clearly, so please excuse the star artefacts.

[Demonperformer]

That is a really nice picture. I love it when people go after the really obscure and find them.

[wimvb]

3 hours ago, Demonperformer said:

That is a really nice picture. I love it when people go after the really obscure and find them.

Thanks, DP. Glad you like it. I prefer to photograph unusual and sometimes obscure targets.